瞎逛美業文青潮市集 / Exploring the Beauty Industry Market

那天，雖然天空飄著細雨，又有點冷，但是，我又到文創園區逛逛了，因為下雨，往常不少遊客的園區也顯著冷清了不少，突然，我在園區室內廊道，發現一處室內市集，人們都往那邊走，看到市集名稱寫的是美業文青潮市集，第一眼，我還真猜不出來是怎樣的市集。

不過當我一進去市集，立刻就恍然大悟，因為裡面滿滿的美甲、美睫、紋繡、熱蠟、美容等相關產品的攤位，還有非常多打扮入時的女生走來走去，再回想剛剛看到的市集名稱上有美業，應該指的是美容產業，愛美是人類的天性，雖然我對於這產業不清楚，但看到市集內滿滿的人潮，就知道這產業應該不錯。

因為各攤位的主要客群是女性，所以，基本上，我都是快快掠過，沒有細看，但是，之前有和一位年輕的妹妹聊天，她提到她平常閒暇時，都在研究美甲，而她的指甲也常常戴著各式特色美甲片，據她說，給美甲工作室做一次，價錢落在一千到三千台幣左右，我覺得超貴的，但是因為這位妹妹，還是一位大學二年級的學生，她未來想要成為美甲師，或甚至創立自己的工作室，所以，她是用觀摩的方式，去了解美甲產業，而我在市集內，看到至少有六成的攤位，都是美甲相關的，我就知道，美甲產品或服務已經是紅海了，競爭非常激烈。

其實，隨著社會觀念的轉變，現在越來越多男性開始注重自己的外在形象，從基礎的洗面乳、保濕霜，到更進階的護膚精華、防曬，而男性專用的美容產品線好像越來越多樣化，我本來還想找看看，市集內無男性專區，結果，答案是幾乎沒有，而且，市集內的女生實在是太多了，多到我都不好意思逛。

在市集的末段，超多女生拿著裝滿戰利品的小籃子，等待結帳，這滿滿的人氣，又讓我想到猶太人說，女人的錢最好賺這句話，隨著現代女性的工作機會增多，收入也越來越高，女性漸漸地成為消費主力，再結合我前面提到的，愛美是人類的天性，難怪這市集會如此火爆，仔細看看看板，原來這個市集已經是第六屆了，我猜，依照這市集的火熱程度，應該會持續辦下去的。

That day, even though a light drizzle was falling and it was a bit chilly, I decided to take a walk around the cultural and creative park. Because of the rain, the usually bustling park was noticeably quieter. Suddenly, I noticed a crowd heading toward an indoor corridor. Curious, I followed them and discovered an indoor market. The sign read "Beauty Industry Artsy Market," but at first glance, I couldn’t quite figure out what kind of market it was.

However, as soon as I stepped inside, it all made sense. The market was packed with stalls offering nail art, eyelash extensions, microblading, waxing, and various beauty products. The place was bustling with stylishly dressed women walking around. Thinking back to the market's name, the "beauty industry" part now made perfect sense. After all, the desire to look good is human nature. Even though I'm not particularly familiar with this industry, the sheer number of people inside told me that it must be a pretty lucrative business.

Since most of the stalls were clearly targeting a female clientele, I just walked through quickly without really stopping to browse. But I recalled a conversation I had with a young girl not long ago. She mentioned that in her free time, she’s really into nail art, often wearing different sets of nail extensions. According to her, getting her nails done at a nail salon costs anywhere from NT$1,000 to NT$3,000. I thought that was pretty expensive, especially since she’s only a college sophomore. But she told me that her dream is to become a nail artist and maybe even open her own studio one day. So for her, visiting markets like this is a way to study the industry and learn from others. Seeing that over 60% of the stalls were nail-related, I realized that the nail business is already a red ocean—highly competitive and saturated.

Interestingly, with shifting social norms, more men are starting to care about their appearance. From basic face wash and moisturizer to advanced skincare serums and sunscreen, the range of men’s grooming products has been expanding. I was curious if there would be a men's section in this market, but after searching around, I found almost nothing. Plus, the market was so packed with women that I honestly felt a bit awkward walking around.

Toward the end of the market, I saw a long line of women holding baskets filled with their "battle spoils" and waiting to check out. The popularity of the market reminded me of the saying, "Women’s money is the easiest to earn." As modern women gain more career opportunities and higher incomes, they’ve become a major driving force in the consumer market. Combined with the natural human desire to look good, it’s no wonder this market was such a hit. I noticed from the signs that this was already the sixth edition of the market. Judging from how successful it was, I’m pretty sure they’ll keep hosting it in the future.

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